AR at work: Four of the best applications for Google’s Glass Enterprise

After experiencing somewhat of a flop with its initial consumer-focused release, Google Glass has returned with Glass Enterprise Edition. Partnering with several businesses, and across a variety of industries, Google has refocused the device on fulfilling more industrial applications. While the actual changes to Glass are fairly minimal – essentially the core components have been upgraded to reflect the four years since initial release – the main shift is in the intended audience for the device.

It’s probably fair to say that the aesthetic didn’t help with the consumer launch of Google Glass, but – probably more overtly – the device didn’t find the necessary audience because the asking price was far too high for the actual functionality offered. The audience for a high-cost consumer augmented reality (AR) device wasn’t, and probably still isn’t, particularly huge.

Bringing Glass to industry, however, makes a lot of sense; Google is far from the first to see the benefits that AR can offer to industrial applications. Below, we profile some of the best ways the new Enterprise edition is likely to be used.

Google Glass is bringing augmented reality to healthcare

Partnering with Augmedix, a company providing a remote documentation service for doctors, Glass allows doctors to double the amount of time they spend interacting with patients, according to Glass client and health system Dignity Health. Principally, this is done by cutting down on the amount of time spent documenting; rather than the doctors having to spend time typing up patient records and notations, they can instead trust to the remote scribe program to handle it while they focus on actually helping their patients.

This is potentially only the start, though. Doctors require access to vast amounts of information and the healthcare process can often become bogged down by administration and documentation. Augmedix takes the pressure of some of that documentation off doctors, but Glass could be put to further use if it was access all those records as easily as it adds to them. Rather than a doctor having to pore through documents, they could instead be easily pulled up directly in their Glass. By streamlining doctor’s interaction with records, Glass could allow them to better focus on and help their patients.

Manufacturing may be the best use of Glass Enterprise

Manufacturing possibly offers the best case study for how Glass Enterprise can help to improve an industry, with the foremost example probably being the work that has gone into the partnership between Glass and GE Aviation. Approaching how to increase the efficiency of a business that handles the complex and specialised maintenance of aeroplanes, Glass partnered with Upskill to provide a custom AR software package known as Skylight.

Whereas mechanics would previously have had to stop to consult computers or sift through enormous manuals, Glass Enterprise can put all that information right in front of their eyes. More than just stopping them from going down a ladder to read the required information, though, the Glass/Skylight combo can pull up videos, animations and images so that a mechanic can see exactly what they need to be doing. According to GE, the introduction of Glass both reduced errors at key points in the assembly and overhaul of engines, and improved its mechanics’ efficiency by 8–12%.

Glass is bringing augmented reality to logistics

Image courtesy of Ubimax

The principle advantage that Glass offers is the ability to free up the hands of workers and provide real-time information, often with additional visual formats. This has been put to use in the logistics industry with DHL and its supply chain process. Increasing the business’ supply chain efficiency by a reported by 15%, Glass helps the company fulfil orders by letting workers know in real-time where items need to be placed on carts for shipping.

Across industry, Glass Enterprise can create a constant flow of information that is easily available to workers and can turn a warehouse environment, for example, into a far more efficient workplace as hands-free technology keeps workers constantly updated. By combining Glass with Ubimax’s Vision Picking solution xPick, companies are able to speed up their processes and reduce error rate simply by making it so that all the information that could possibly be required is always available and directly sent to the worker’s eyes.

Glass Enterprise could help the military and emergency services

Image courtesy of US Army illustration

Perhaps a distraction in the middle of an emergency situation, AR nevertheless offers a wide variety of helpful applications to those in both the military and emergency services. In both cases, the advantages offered by a device such as Glass are focused around being able to expand the information available to a user at any time. Even if just for training, having more information available to a user in a more dangerous field such as the military can only be a good thing.

As with other industries, the transformative aspect provided by Glass is the ability to provide users with vast amounts more information than they may otherwise have and keep them updated in real-time with new knowledge and instructions. Providing strategic overlays and ensuring that users in dangerous lines of work are kept provided with the most up-to-date information available could make some form of Glass Enterprise a crucial tool to those in the military and emergency services.

However while the US military in particular is making use of AR, there are no specific Glass partnerships around yet. But watch this space: a Glass Battlefield Edition may not be far away.

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World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76. When Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease aged 22, doctors predicted he would live just a few more years. But in the ensuing 54 years he married, kept working and inspired millions of people around the world. In his last few years, Hawking was outspoken of the subject of AI, and Factor got the chance to hear him speak on the subject at Web Summit 2017…

Stephen Hawking was often described as being a vocal critic of AI. Headlines were filled with predictions of doom by from scientist, but the reality was more complex.

Hawking was not convinced that AI was to become the harbinger of the end of humanity, but instead was balanced about its risks and rewards, and at a compelling talk broadcast at Web Summit, he outlined his perspectives and what the tech world can do to ensure the end results are positive.

Stephen Hawking on the potential challenges and opportunities of AI

Beginning with the potential of artificial intelligence, Hawking highlighted the potential level of sophistication that the technology could reach.

“There are many challenges and opportunities facing us at this moment, and I believe that one of the biggest of these is the advent and impact of AI for humanity,” said Hawking in the talk. “As most of you may know, I am on record as saying that I believe there is no real difference between what can be achieved by a biological brain and what can be achieved by a computer.

“Of course, there is unlimited potential for what the human mind can learn and develop. So if my reasoning is correct, it also follows that computers can, in theory, emulate human intelligence and exceed it.”

Moving onto the potential impact, he began with an optimistic tone, identifying the technology as a possible tool for health, the environment and beyond.

“We cannot predict what we might achieve when our own minds are amplified by AI. Perhaps with the tools of this new technological revolution, we will be able to undo some of the damage done to the natural world by the last one: industrialisation,” he said.

“We will aim to finally eradicate disease and poverty; every aspect of our lives will be transformed.”

However, he also acknowledged the negatives of the technology, from warfare to economic destruction.

“In short, success in creating effective AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilisation, or the worst. We just don’t know. So we cannot know if we will be infinitely helped by AI, or ignored by it and sidelined or conceivably destroyed by it,” he said.

“Unless we learn how to prepare for – and avoid – the potential risks, AI could be the worst event in the history of our civilisation. It brings dangers like powerful autonomous weapons or new ways for the few to oppress the many. It could bring great disruption to our economy.

“Already we have concerns that clever machines will be increasingly capable of undertaking work currently done by humans, and swiftly destroy millions of jobs. AI could develop a will of its own, a will that is in conflict with ours and which could destroy us.

“In short, the rise of powerful AI will be either the best or the worst thing ever to happen to humanity.”

In the vanguard of AI development

In 2014, Hawking and several other scientists and experts called for increased levels of research to be undertaken in the field of AI, which he acknowledged has begun to happen.

“I am very glad that someone was listening to me,” he said.

However, he argued that there is there is much to be done if we are to ensure the technology doesn’t pose a significant threat.

“To control AI and make it work for us and eliminate – as far as possible – its very real dangers, we need to employ best practice and effective management in all areas of its development,” he said. “That goes without saying, of course, that this is what every sector of the economy should incorporate into its ethos and vision, but with artificial intelligence this is vital.”

Addressing a thousands-strong crowd of tech-savvy attendees at the event, he urged them to think beyond the immediate business potential of the technology.

“Perhaps we should all stop for a moment and focus our thinking not only on making AI more capable and successful, but on maximising its societal benefit”

“Everyone here today is in the vanguard of AI development. We are the scientists. We develop an idea. But you are also the influencers: you need to make it work. Perhaps we should all stop for a moment and focus our thinking not only on making AI more capable and successful, but on maximising its societal benefit,” he said. “Our AI systems must do what we want them to do, for the benefit of humanity.”

In particular he raised the importance of working across different fields.

“Interdisciplinary research can be a way forward, ranging from economics and law to computer security, formal methods and, of course, various branches of AI itself,” he said.

“Such considerations motivated the American Association for Artificial Intelligence Presidential Panel on Long-Term AI Futures, which up until recently had focused largely on techniques that are neutral with respect to purpose.”

He also gave the example of calls at the start of 2017 by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) the introduction of liability rules around AI and robotics.

“MEPs called for more comprehensive robot rules in a new draft report concerning the rules on robotics, and citing the development of AI as one of the most prominent technological trends of our century,” he summarised.

“The report calls for a set of core fundamental values, an urgent regulation on the recent developments to govern the use and creation of robots and AI. [It] acknowledges the possibility that within the space of a few decades, AI could surpass human intellectual capacity and challenge the human-robot relationship.

“Finally, the report calls for the creation of a European agency for robotics and AI that can provide technical, ethical and regulatory expertise. If MEPs vote in favour of legislation, the report will go to the European Commission, which will decide what legislative steps it will take.”

Creating artificial intelligence for the world

No one can say for certain whether AI will truly be a force for positive or negative change, but – despite the headlines – Hawking was positive about the future.

“I am an optimist and I believe that we can create AI for the world that can work in harmony with us. We simply need to be aware of the dangers, identify them, employ the best possible practice and management and prepare for its consequences well in advance,” he said. “Perhaps some of you listening today will already have solutions or answers to the many questions AI poses.”

“You all have the potential to push the boundaries of what is accepted or expected, and to think big”

However, he stressed that everyone has a part to play in ensuring AI is ultimately a benefit to humanity.

“We all have a role to play in making sure that we, and the next generation, have not just the opportunity but the determination to engage fully with the study of science at an early level, so that we can go on to fulfill our potential and create a better world for the whole human race,” he said.

“We need to take learning beyond a theoretical discussion of how AI should be, and take action to make sure we plan for how it can be. You all have the potential to push the boundaries of what is accepted or expected, and to think big.

“We stand on the threshold of a brave new world. It is an exciting – if precarious – place to be and you are the pioneers. I wish you well.”